Tioga County students awarded Bassett Foundation Scholarships at former home

Tioga County students awarded Bassett Foundation Scholarships at former homePictured are guests and scholarship recipients that attended the award presentation for this year’s Charles H. Bassett Youth Foundation, Inc. scholarship for higher education. Provided photo.

In 1922, Bob Bassett’s grandparents bought the historic home at 263 Front St. in Owego, N.Y. and raised their two young boys, his Uncle Robert and his Dad, Charles, through the 1920’s, the Great Depression, The New Deal, the rise of Hitler, WWII and the final peace treaty with Japan in 1945.

His Uncle Bob was a Navy Captain who became a Prisoner of War in Japan for three and a half years after his ship, the USS Pope, was sunk in the South Pacific during the second Battle of the Java Sea.

He came home to Owego to grateful parents and family in November 1945 and his grandfather decided to sell the family home to establish a home for returning servicemen, thus, American Legion Post 401 was created.

On May 7 a remarkable turn of history occurred when the Charles H. Bassett Youth Foundation, Inc. presented 11 Tioga County graduating seniors and their families with $500 scholarships for higher education.

Bassett stated, “Investing in, mentoring, and encouraging young people continues to be key to maintaining and sustaining our democracy through good character, citizenship and servant leadership.”

He also thanked the American Legion for hosting the event, and all those who attended and made it a very special occasion.

The following are this year’s scholarship recipients: Morgan Bensley, Candor Central School, received the Roger Westgate Family Creative Arts Scholarship; Clara McCloskey Halliday-Eaton, Newark Valley High School, received the Family STEM Scholarship; Elizabeth Morton Louise, OFA, received the Robert Woodburn Family Scholarship; Rachael Wood Dewey-Wright, OFA, was awarded the Family Theater Arts Scholarship; Luke Jacoby, OFA, received the Eudora and Fred Shuler Family Scholarship; Zoe Zachery Kingman-McEnteer, OFA, the History Education Scholarship; Alexandra Senko, OFA, the David P. Beere Family Scholarship; Autumn Hankey, OFA, the David P. Beere Family Scholarship; Hunter Georgia, OFA, was awarded the Robert Van Rensselaer Bassett Scholarship; Kyle Riegel, OFA, the Robert Van Rensselaer Bassett Scholarship; Emily Dodge, OFA, the Charles and Harriett Hibberd Bassett Scholarship; and Gianna Ferraro, OFA, was awarded a Charles & Harriett Hibberd Bassett Scholarship.

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